By NAKUL DEV MAHAJAN
I remember standing at the bottom foot of a raised stage at the India Independence Day celebration in Los Angeles in 1983, as two beautifully costumed Bharata Natyam dancers took their place with their ornate braided hair and dramatic eye make-up. An elegant and stunning lady dressed in a green and...
I remember standing at the bottom foot of a raised stage at the India Independence Day celebration in Los Angeles in 1983, as two beautifully costumed Bharata Natyam dancers took their place with their ornate braided hair and dramatic eye make-up. An elegant and stunning lady dressed in a green and...
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red Kanjeevaram saree took the microphone and introduced herself and her company. She began to explain what the two dancers were going to perform. Her face became animated with her story telling, as she gestured with her intricate hand movements. The music began and I was immediately put into a trance by the rhythmic sounds of the dancers bells. I drew even closer to the performance when the elegant lady began reciting words that were foreign to me, yet spellbinding. I was 8 years old when the lady in the green and red Kanjeevaram saree evoked an inner passion for dance. This was my earliest memory of classical Indian dance and the beginning of a love affair to all forms of dance from India, especially Hindi film dancing or better known today as Bollywood Dance. I started choreographing and teaching Bollywood Dance at the age of 12, but the demand didn’t snowball until I was 16, when I became legal to drive. I would drive a lot and get paid close to nothing after travel distance and gas costs. I wasn’t the businessman yet; just hungry to teach anyone because I loved it. It was a wonderful time in film dancing when the community provided platforms for the youth to perform, whether it would be dance competitions or community festivals. It was the early 90s and we had SriDevi and Madhuri Dixit that inspired children and young adults to dance and learn a form that was considered vulgar and “not really a style.” With my classical training, I created a style and found a niche for myself in the community as a Bollywood Dance teacher. There were not too many of us.
In reality, I was the only male Bollywood instructor in Southern California, in a predominately classical based dance community of instructors, many of whom were unwelcoming and discouraging to the Bollywood craze. Bollywood Dance was the future and unfortunately, the classical forms began to take a hit, as the younger generation found more interest in learning a style that was commercial and trendy. I have always been and continue to promote learning a classical form, as the best dancers are the ones that have years of classical training. It is a tragedy that Indian classical dance is becoming a dying art and I hope that there is a shift in interest in the coming years.
It is interesting to see how much Bollywood Dance has changed in terms of people’s attitude and opinion. In the earlier part of my career, I recall people making judgements that Bollywood Dance has no technique, it is simple, it takes no talent and that it is provocative. However, we have learned over the years that Bollywood Dancing is very complex and diverse. Today we have many styles within Bollywood Dance such as classical, folk, hip-hop, contemporary and jazz. In recent times, I hear people complimenting and appreciating the complexity of how demanding this form can be. The best testament to the popularity of Bollywood dancing today is the surge of Bollywood dance schools that have opened across the US, just in the last 5 years.
It does however sadden me that the Indian traditional component of Bollywood Danceis losing its significance in the majority of films being made today. The western influence in Bollywood filmmaking has outweighed the traditional wholesome family oriented movies we grew up with. A “Kabhi Khushi Khabie Gham” or a “Devdas” is a once in a blue moon treat we may be given from a very provocative Bollywood industry we have today. The backlash from this new wave of filmmaking is the types of music and songs, which are often inappropriate to teach students. We take great pride at my studio, NDM Bollywood Dance Studio, that all of our students are limited to learn choreography on music that is tasteful and not vulgar. Unfortunately, I have seen that not all Bollywood schools follow this responsibility of researching songs that are suitable and age appropriate. Nowhere I am saying that the Western influence is negative. All is good when in balance.
There has been an overwhelming difference in the quality of aspiring Bollywood Dance students over the past decade or so in my experience. The main difference is in the facial expressions of what the students are trying to emote through the music or song. My theory is that recent generations do not speak Hindi or understand it, therefore they perform dances without true embodiment of the story telling aspect of Hindi music. What we see quite frequently is movement and very little depth in emotion. This is something I identified in my students years ago and have a strict curriculum in not only learning the lyrics to the songs, but also knowing the translations to the words.
However, it is more than just lip syncing, its understanding the Indian culture, roots, tradition and customs throughout the subcontinent. I recall a few weeks ago explaining to a group of girls of what a ‘doli’ (bride carriage) was and the symbolism of sindoor (vermillion). These are Hindi words frequently used in Bollywood songs. This is where I become more than just a choreographer. It fills my heart to share such important layers of our culture to the younger generations that may have slipped from their upbringing. I have to remember that all students were not like me growing up; dancing and watching Bollywood movies on a weekly basis, having their grandparents sharing language and customs and a parent that only spoke to them in their mother tongue.
Nonetheless, I must give this new generation “props” for being a part of the dance community where much of its influence derives from Hip-Hop and other Western forms. Bollywood dancing today is much more demanding and competitive. The levels of athleticism has increased tremendously over the years. We went from the charismatic Shah Rukh Khan to 8 pack-flexible Hrithik Roshan to the unmatchable technique of Shahid Kapoor all in just 10 years. The kids today are out dancing my generation and will continue to add more elements to a form that was once called simple and easy to do.
I am often asked about the challenges I faced in my career. In retrospect, those challenges are what has made me Nakul Dev Mahajan today. I was a shy boy that was picked last on the school yard, teased for being Indian, bullied for being “different” and later questioned by peers and family for pursuing a career in dance. It was these experiences that toughened me to go against the grain of what was culturally expected of me. I stood behind my dream and my passion to do what makes me happy. Through sweat, blood and many tears, I opened the first Bollywood Dance Company in the US, which I consider one of the milestone moments in my career. I was hit with my greatest challenge two years ago when I was diagnosed with stage 2 testicular cancer. But the power of love from family, friends, students and fans around the world gave me the strength to fight and persevere. Today, as a retired professional dancer, I have been blessed with many astounding opportunities. As a choreographer, I have yet to reach my pinnacle, but I have been very fortunate to call myself the Bollywood choreographer on So You Think You Can Dance and to be the one that brought Bollywood to the White House with our First Lady, Michelle Obama. While constantly making history by bringing Bollywood Dance to levels never seen before, I hope that I have not only made the South Asians in the US, but my entire country of India proud.
After all these years, I still see that same lady in the green and red Kanjeevaram saree time to time. Her sarees have changed but her spirit and blessings are the same. That lady is Bharata Natyam’s Viji Prakash. What she evoked in me 32 years ago, still resonates in me every day and I hope to continue to inspire others in the same way she inspired me. As artists, we keep passing the torch and hoping that the flame never dies.
Mahajan is known as “Hollywood’s Favorite Bollywood Choreographer.” He is best credited for his work on “So You Think You Dance,” A.R. Rahman Jai Ho World Tour, Miss America (Nina Davuluri) talent segment and bringing Bollywood to the White House with Michelle Obama.
In reality, I was the only male Bollywood instructor in Southern California, in a predominately classical based dance community of instructors, many of whom were unwelcoming and discouraging to the Bollywood craze. Bollywood Dance was the future and unfortunately, the classical forms began to take a hit, as the younger generation found more interest in learning a style that was commercial and trendy. I have always been and continue to promote learning a classical form, as the best dancers are the ones that have years of classical training. It is a tragedy that Indian classical dance is becoming a dying art and I hope that there is a shift in interest in the coming years.
It is interesting to see how much Bollywood Dance has changed in terms of people’s attitude and opinion. In the earlier part of my career, I recall people making judgements that Bollywood Dance has no technique, it is simple, it takes no talent and that it is provocative. However, we have learned over the years that Bollywood Dancing is very complex and diverse. Today we have many styles within Bollywood Dance such as classical, folk, hip-hop, contemporary and jazz. In recent times, I hear people complimenting and appreciating the complexity of how demanding this form can be. The best testament to the popularity of Bollywood dancing today is the surge of Bollywood dance schools that have opened across the US, just in the last 5 years.
It does however sadden me that the Indian traditional component of Bollywood Danceis losing its significance in the majority of films being made today. The western influence in Bollywood filmmaking has outweighed the traditional wholesome family oriented movies we grew up with. A “Kabhi Khushi Khabie Gham” or a “Devdas” is a once in a blue moon treat we may be given from a very provocative Bollywood industry we have today. The backlash from this new wave of filmmaking is the types of music and songs, which are often inappropriate to teach students. We take great pride at my studio, NDM Bollywood Dance Studio, that all of our students are limited to learn choreography on music that is tasteful and not vulgar. Unfortunately, I have seen that not all Bollywood schools follow this responsibility of researching songs that are suitable and age appropriate. Nowhere I am saying that the Western influence is negative. All is good when in balance.
There has been an overwhelming difference in the quality of aspiring Bollywood Dance students over the past decade or so in my experience. The main difference is in the facial expressions of what the students are trying to emote through the music or song. My theory is that recent generations do not speak Hindi or understand it, therefore they perform dances without true embodiment of the story telling aspect of Hindi music. What we see quite frequently is movement and very little depth in emotion. This is something I identified in my students years ago and have a strict curriculum in not only learning the lyrics to the songs, but also knowing the translations to the words.
However, it is more than just lip syncing, its understanding the Indian culture, roots, tradition and customs throughout the subcontinent. I recall a few weeks ago explaining to a group of girls of what a ‘doli’ (bride carriage) was and the symbolism of sindoor (vermillion). These are Hindi words frequently used in Bollywood songs. This is where I become more than just a choreographer. It fills my heart to share such important layers of our culture to the younger generations that may have slipped from their upbringing. I have to remember that all students were not like me growing up; dancing and watching Bollywood movies on a weekly basis, having their grandparents sharing language and customs and a parent that only spoke to them in their mother tongue.
Nonetheless, I must give this new generation “props” for being a part of the dance community where much of its influence derives from Hip-Hop and other Western forms. Bollywood dancing today is much more demanding and competitive. The levels of athleticism has increased tremendously over the years. We went from the charismatic Shah Rukh Khan to 8 pack-flexible Hrithik Roshan to the unmatchable technique of Shahid Kapoor all in just 10 years. The kids today are out dancing my generation and will continue to add more elements to a form that was once called simple and easy to do.
I am often asked about the challenges I faced in my career. In retrospect, those challenges are what has made me Nakul Dev Mahajan today. I was a shy boy that was picked last on the school yard, teased for being Indian, bullied for being “different” and later questioned by peers and family for pursuing a career in dance. It was these experiences that toughened me to go against the grain of what was culturally expected of me. I stood behind my dream and my passion to do what makes me happy. Through sweat, blood and many tears, I opened the first Bollywood Dance Company in the US, which I consider one of the milestone moments in my career. I was hit with my greatest challenge two years ago when I was diagnosed with stage 2 testicular cancer. But the power of love from family, friends, students and fans around the world gave me the strength to fight and persevere. Today, as a retired professional dancer, I have been blessed with many astounding opportunities. As a choreographer, I have yet to reach my pinnacle, but I have been very fortunate to call myself the Bollywood choreographer on So You Think You Can Dance and to be the one that brought Bollywood to the White House with our First Lady, Michelle Obama. While constantly making history by bringing Bollywood Dance to levels never seen before, I hope that I have not only made the South Asians in the US, but my entire country of India proud.
After all these years, I still see that same lady in the green and red Kanjeevaram saree time to time. Her sarees have changed but her spirit and blessings are the same. That lady is Bharata Natyam’s Viji Prakash. What she evoked in me 32 years ago, still resonates in me every day and I hope to continue to inspire others in the same way she inspired me. As artists, we keep passing the torch and hoping that the flame never dies.
Mahajan is known as “Hollywood’s Favorite Bollywood Choreographer.” He is best credited for his work on “So You Think You Dance,” A.R. Rahman Jai Ho World Tour, Miss America (Nina Davuluri) talent segment and bringing Bollywood to the White House with Michelle Obama.
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